Many of this morning’s papers focus on the government’s overhaul of the welfare system. “Don’t punish the needy” is the Daily Mirror’s front page headline. The boss of the Unite union, Sharon Graham, has written an article for the paper in which she questions why the “poorest are being pitted against the poorest while the wealthiest go relatively untouched”.
The Guardian calls it “D-day for benefits cuts”, and says the prime minister faces a “growing tide of opposition”.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were reportedly among those in cabinet to raise concerns about the reforms, according to the I paper. Writing in the I, former work and pensions secretary Lord Blunkett calls the current system an “absolute mess”, and argues the “sooner we sort it out, the better”.
The Financial Times says “experts have urged the government to act with caution to avoid the unintended consequences that have beset previous attempts at reform”, while the Daily Mail’s editorial urges the prime minister to stand firm. It says watering down changes will mean “the welfare system will eventually collapse under its own weight and the economic growth the government craves will become an impossible dream”.
The Daily Express uses its front page to highlight a downgraded growth forecast for the UK economy, issued by the OECD. The paper says the report is another “humiliation for the chancellor, days ahead of her crunch spring statement”.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has written an article in which he blames the government’s higher taxes on businesses and its employment rights bill. He says the government has “effectively crushed the spirit of enterprise”.
The Express quotes a response to the OECD report from Rachel Reeves, in which she says the government is “delivering a new era of stability, security and renewal, to protect working people and keep our country safe”.
The Daily Mail leads on the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, dropping the 2050 target for the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions. The paper says she will “seek to put clear blue water between her party and Labour”.
The Daily Telegraph’s editorial calls it “sense on net zero”, and argues that “setting dates in statute means there’s no flexibility when events, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, knock other calculations off course”. Equally supportive commentary can be found in the Sun, which says the “government will rubbish” her every word, but “the public will know she’s right”.
The Times highlights criticism of Badenoch from the Conservative Environment Network. The group accuses her of undermining “the significant environmental legacy of successive Conservative governments”.
Many papers run pictures of Catherine, Princess of Wales, supping on a Guinness with troops from the Irish Guards to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. The Daily Mirror and The Daily Star call her the “Princess of Ales”. The Sun says she “presented a shamrock to the regimental mascot”, an Irish Wolfhound called Seamus. The Daily Telegraph says she even put money behind the bar.
